


Lunch at Ricky's

by WilliamBoyko



Category: Original Work
Genre: Breaking the Fourth Wall, Bullying, Gun Violence, M/M, Racism, Screenplay/Script Format
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-23
Updated: 2016-07-23
Packaged: 2018-07-26 07:00:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7564663
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WilliamBoyko/pseuds/WilliamBoyko
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Inside a Ma and Pa restaurant Henry is eating lunch alone. Everything's going fine but Carrie and Justin enter and start harassing Henry. His Inner voice, Johnny tells him to stand up and be a hero. As the day progresses Justin and Carrie take it too far causing Henry to listen to Johnny and to stand up for himself.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lunch at Ricky's

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, Have a good day :)

SETTING

A small Ma and Pa restaurant named Ricky’s. There are 4 small wooden pine tables scattered throughout with chairs. The blinds are closed, as it’s a sunny afternoon. There is a metal ledge on the right side of the restaurant, which holds condiments, napkins and straws. The front counter is spotless and it’s a tidy restaurant all together.  
TIME  
It’s a lazy Sunday afternoon, during the month of June. School’s almost out and the fresh air, fills the small restaurant.

 

ACT I  
Scene 1: A Restaurant Now.  
*Note: When people are talking to the audience time freezes. Also, when Henry talks to Johnny, no can hear them.

ACT I  
SCENE 1  
(HENRY is sitting alone, picking apart his sandwich. He asked for no pickles, but as always it’s covered with them. He debated to tell the worker that he got his order wrong but as always, he said nothing. He’s wearing tight black sweatpants, with an old not well known progressive rock T-Shirt of the band Genesis. ANNA is behind the counter, cleaning the same spot over and over again. She’s wearing a white apron, with a black t-shirt. She looks at her watch and then looks around the near empty restaurant before fixing her eyes on Henry.)  
ANNA  
Hey, Uh… Henry. I’m gonna go for a smoke out back. Do me a favour and make sure no one takes anything. (Mocking followed by laughter) And if they do, kick there ass. ( She bends down and comes up with a small white sign that says “Gone out back, Back in 10 minutes.” She then puts it dead center and makes her way outside.)(To audience) Fucking loser.  
HENRY  
(To audience, while continuing to pick off pickles.) Do you ever wake up and wonder, why did you come in the world like this? Is this all a joke, a game? Do people enjoy watching me suffer day after day, after day and day and day and DAY (Throws the pickles on the ground before composing himself.) Sorry I don’t mean to lose my cool there it’s just (Picks pickles up, then breaths) why am I so different? Is it my hair, the way I walk or some deep hidden thing that makes peopled repulsed by me. Sometimes I just lay in bed looking up at my ceiling while listening to some music. I’ve been listening to a lot of Supertramp lately. You probably don’t know of them. (While listing songs, sing/hum melody.)They wrote the songs Dreamer, Take The Long Way Home, and Give a little bit. You know songs about dreaming, friendship, love; bullshit like that. There are moments where I think the world is a kind place, one that is full of dreams and love. I wish that the world was like that, but instead of dreaming there’s work and instead of friendship and love, there are lies, betrayal and loneliness. That’s what life’s about, and you know what, people are ok with that, I’m ok with that. (Starts to his eat sandwich and drink his drink.)  
(JOHNNY enters the scene and Henry faces towards him.)  
JOHNNY  
Is this what your life has come down to? Drinking soda and picking off pickles because your too dam scared to say something.  
HENRY  
It’s not like that at all I swear. It’s just that… Well I don’t want to get banned from eating here. It’s not like it’s a big deal or anything, I mean….  
JOHHNY  
You’re getting worse; the walls are getting smaller and smaller. Is this really how you want to spend your life? Alone, pitiful and too damn scared to do anything.  
HENRY  
People hate me, they hate us and you have to learn to accept that. There is nothing I can do. People never notice me; I often wonder if I’m truly alive or just a spirit stuck in the human world. Most times, people just see me as scenery, an extension of the table, that’s made of nothingness. Don’t you see that-  
JOHNNY  
(Cutting Henry off, while addressing Henry and the audience.) That what? We are destined to live a life like this. You want to change your life? Get the fuck up and do so. Stop wallowing in self-pity and give meaning to your life.  
HENRY  
(Mockingly, over the top) All right (Standing up), starting tomorrow I’ll start to talk to people and have a bunch of friends. They’ll accept me as one of their own and all my days will be full of shine and happiness. (To audience) Did you hear that guys, I’m gonna change my life and everything going to be all better. All my dreams will come true and I’ll be a talented respectful artist. People will love me for me and I’ll live a truly lovely and euphoric, life. I’ll be eating rays of sunshine and rainbows for breakfast. (Serious to both audience and Johnny) Open your fucking eyes, happiness is long dead and all you can do is scrape by life.  
(JUSTIN and CARRIE enter the restaurant, laughing about some racist comment they told each other. Justin is wearing a light jacket, with a grey shirt and black pants. Carrie is wearing a similar outfit.)  
HENRY  
(To Johnny) Shit, they’re going to kill me. Me here, alone with no one to stop them. They going to keep battering until there’s nothing left. I could run sure they might get my collar but, I need to take the risk. ( Starts getting up.)  
JOHNNY  
You’re not going anywhere. You need to stand up and teach those guys a lesson. You said you’d stay and watch the place.  
HENRY  
This isn’t a fucking after school special. They’ll do horrid things to me, you’ve seen it before. A bloody nose, a black eye, that’s only the beginning. Shit, it doesn’t matter. They’ve seen me here and now all I can do is close my eyes and wait.  
CARRIE  
Well, Well, Well if it isn’t the little fucking Jew. We were just talking about you guys. Go ahead Justin; tell the little money grubbing rat the joke.  
JUSTIN  
(Tells the joke, but can barely keep a straight face.) What's the difference between a boy scout and a Jew? (Beat)A boy scout comes back from his camp.  
(Carrie and Justin laugh historically, while Henry just sits in silence.)  
HENRY  
Come on guys… That’s not cool. They’ve been through a lot.  
CARRIE  
OHH, I’m sorry is the little faggot going to cry. (To Justin) Do you know why?  
JUSTIN  
It’s because he’s just a little sissy fag who was born without a spine, (Pause) or a penis. (Sees the pickles in the napkin next to Henry’s sandwich and picks them up.) Does the little baby not like pickles?  
(Justin starts throwing pickles at Henry, While Carrie starts laughing. Henry just sits there, blinking to make sure none go in his eye.)  
HENRY  
Alright, you had your fun. Now I just want to eat in peace.  
CARRIE  
Why the fuck do you care what we do? And besides you’re going to have a lot of alone time when you’re older. You want to know why? Because you’re a pathetic, loser who is going to die alone, unloved and you know what? No one is going to give a shit about your fucking body. You’ll die alone is a tub in some shitty apartment. The only reason you’ll be found was that someone was complaining about a dead Jew that smells. And you then you’ll see all your filthy relatives as you travel down to hell with all the other burning relatives. (Pulls out a cigarette and lights it. There’s a pause as she takes a few puffs. ) It’s the Jewish circle of life, burning in this life (Takes the cigarette out rubs it on Henry’s hand) and in the next. You know what my favourite game is? (Pauses, waiting for an answer and she presses the cigarette harder and harder in Henry’s hand) Its burn the Jew.  
(Justin stands in pain as he watches this. Carrie signals Justin to push Henry off his chair and Henry goes sprawling to the floor while holding his hand. Carrie heads to the counter and starts stealing food and money. Justin turns to the audience and steps to upper-center stage.)  
JUSTIN  
(To audience) Sorry you guys had to see that. Usually it’s more physical than emotional but Carrie really dug deep today. I’m not racist or anti sematic, no I’m nothing like that. Carrie was the one who told me that joke, and I hated it. It’s insensitive and it made me feel uneasy. I just laughed because I wanted him to think that I’m cool and I guess it’s cool to be racist nowadays. I know that sounds sick and depraved but it’s hard to get by in high school. You need to do anything to survive. I still should have stopped Carrie from burning Henry. I wanted to; with all my heart I did. It’s just… I don’t want to become like Henry; Alone, scared and with no one to talk to. I could do something but (beat) never mind. Forget I said anything. (Makes his way back to the scene and joins Carrie in stealing.)  
HENRY  
(In pain) see… That wasn’t so bad. I barely got hurt at all.

JOHNNY  
Are you kidding me? They insulted your religion and you just sat there with your thumb up your ass. You should have done something.  
HENRY  
Like what? Fight back. I’m weak; they’ll pummel me if I try to do anything. Sometimes you just have to sit there and take it.  
JOHNNY  
What about the thing in your bag? You could have pulled it out and everything would be different. You won’t even need to fire it; mind you it has no bullets in it anyway. All you would need to do is wave it around and all the power will be on you. You could finally teach them a lesson, and they’ll never lay a finger on you again. Because even the stupid people know how dangerous a man with a gun can be. (Makes a gun with his hand.) All it takes is a bullet in head and BANG (Smiles) there gone.  
HENRY  
Look, I carry the gun for safety and protection, not to threaten low life idiots who pick on me. (Looks at Carrie and Justin, then to audience) I mean, what can I do? They’re robbing the place and all I can is just sit here and watch. I could be the hero of story. People would respect me for standing up and it would be pretty bad ass (Pretends to have a gun.) I could get up in there face and be like, freeze you mother fuckers. I could hold it all gangster like and say a cool one liner, like…(He pauses to think, then says the line in a Clint Eastwood impression) “I deal with punks like you daily, so be a good bitch and play dead.” (Puts the hand gun down and becomes serious) Who am I kidding? I could never too that. People like me just watch the horrors around them, instead of doing something about them. Let’s go back to reality.  
(Justin and Carrie finish stealing and make their way to a table. They act like they own the place, while Henry sits in silence.)  
CARRIE  
This is the life. We’re like kings among all these filthy peasants. Aren’t you glad you’re nothing like that the scrawny thing eating lunch over there.  
JUSTIN  
Yeah, he’s such a loser. (Beat; said in a quite tone.) Hey, uh Carrie, don’t you think you were a little hard on Henry today. I mean, we really know nothing about him. Maybe he’s an ok guy.  
CARRIE  
(Laughs his ass off.) You’re joking right. I don’t want to know anything about that filthy, ugly, no good, Jew face loser.  
JUSTIN  
Yeah, of course. He’s a loser down to his core.  
CARRIE  
Anyway, enough loser talk; did you hear the new EZ DAWG album? It’s fantastic. His lyrics are always so tight.  
JUSTIN  
Dude, tell me about it. I loved it. (To audience.) I fucking hated that piece of shit. I mean, the name says it all; EZ DAWG what kind of stupid name is that anyway? And all it is, is bitch this and fuck that; there’s no… substance. (Walks closer to Henry.) Surprisingly, Henry has a semi decent taste in music. I’d rather listen to a nice pro rock album, rather than this EZ DAWG shit. Maybe we’re more alike than I thought. (Sits beside him.) I another life, maybe we could have been friends. We could have hung out and we could have been losers together. Henry fascinates me; we do all this shit to him and any normal person would have stood up and done something. He just sits there and takes it. He must be strong inside. Who am I to talk, I keep things bottled up all the time. I mean I can’t even manage to summon the courage to tell Carrie that (Looks at Carrie and stands up). But I like where I am in life. And I can’t spend my life being a fag or a loser. I know Carrie seems like a really shitty person, with no regard for human decency. But deep down, there is an amazing, smart, powerful part of him. He keeps it locked down; I think he’s been hurt pretty bad early on in his life. I want to change him, to make her better. Play him some real music, full of passion and maybe he’ll change. Not overnight of course, but slowly. No more dirty, anti-sematic jokes. We can laugh over little fun things and things will be different. We’ll let Henry get on with his life and maybe even hang out with the guy. Carrie might even start drawing again. He used to be a fantastic artist (pulls out an old drawing of his.) But one day he just stopped. Everything about him changed; I want to bring him back. (Has a moment to himself.) What the hell am I doing?(Crumbles up the drawing and through it off stage.) It’s all just dreams and retarded fantasies. (Beat.)Well, maybe not all of it.  
(Justin walks over and holds Carrie’s hand. The scene comes back to action. Henry reaches in his bag and brings out a sketch book and pencil case. He starts to doodle, but it’s hard to with his burnt hand.)

CARRIE  
(Moves her hand jaggedly.) What the fuck are you doing?  
JUSTIN  
I’m sorry… It’s just I though… Never mind. I’m just fooling around.  
CARRIE  
Well, never do that again. You’re making things weird. (To audience.) What the hell was that? I know you probably hate me, and that’s fine; I hate myself most days too. I don’t know why I do what I do; I mean I’m aware of all the horrible stuff I say. I guess I do it to…(Pause) I can’t think of a reason right now, but I’ll get back to you on that one. It’s just something I’ve always done; it’s a part of my life… like breathing. I’m not like the others, I know what this world holds and you get nowhere with all this dreaming shit. You want to know what I wanted to be when I was young: a painter. But I quickly gave up on that as I saw my mom fucking ever guy she met for a quick buck. She came in my room one day; probably drunk and coked up and she just started to yell at the top of her lungs. She told me, you have two choices in life, you can have the power, or you can be the mindless zombie at the end of a leash. You see, it’s all about money and power and as soon as people see that, the happier they’ll be. Art is dead, and people need to stop all these frivolous dreams. I’ve never felt anything towards anyone and I’ve never been hurt. She then took my sketch book and tore it out page my page; saying this is where dreaming will get you. That’s what’s wrong with Henry, He’s always dreaming, wanting a place that’ll never exists. Henry’s problem is that he’s always doodling in his stupid fucking notebook. And he’s gonna get nowhere because of it. Every time I see his stupid childish grin, I want break it into a frown. I want to give him a taste of what life is really like. Henry was happy long ago, doodling away with his head in the sky. But I brought him back to reality and I’ve done it day after day. I feel nothing towards Justin; that slight gay touch made me feel sick. I feel broken inside. What the hell is wrong with me?  
(Carrie goes back to his seat and finishes his meal in silence, along with Justin. Henry is still struggling to draw but he keeps going.)  
JOHNNY  
Shit, they got your writing hand. You must really hate them for that. There’s still time to pull out the gun. No more offensive jokes. No more black eyes or beaten up arms. Things will be better, it will only take 5 minutes and you’ll be free.

 

HENRY  
(Musing idea and stops drawing.) No one would get hurt. I’m sure the gun is empty. Well 95%, actually more like 75% sure but is it worth the risk; to change my life by force. What if it back fires? They could call by bluff or I could be arrested.  
(Carrie stands up and begins to take more food.)  
JOHNNY  
Now’s your chance. Just reach in the bag and pull it out.  
HENRY  
(Stands up) Don’t you think you’ve taken enough, you dirty little bitch. Shouldn’t you go back to your gay lover?  
JOHNNY  
That’s the Henry I wanted to come out.  
CARRIE  
What the hell did you just call me, you long nose idiot? (Pulls out switch blade.) Do you want to wake up with a missing finger? Or better yet I might just cut off whole hand. Try drawing your stupid doodles after that.  
JOHNNY  
You’re almost there, just pull out the gun. Show them who you really are.  
JUSTIN  
(Gets up, to audience.) I’m sorry for what’s about the happen. There’s no way I can’t avoid this. This is fully Henry’s fault; or is it? (Beat) You don’t think I want to run or to help Henry and break up the fight. I can’t. I have to choose between Carrie and Henry. I could end it all here, the turning point for three lives. The play could end with me swooping in and being the hero, but that’s not how life works. We’re not bad people, we were just trying to get through school and we became something we hated. (Walks closer to Henry.)The things people do to fit in and be cool (punches Henry right in the nose.)  
(Henry falls back and Carrie comes near him and she kicks his body, over and over again. Henry does nothing and after a while she stops. Henry slowly gets up and sees Carrie looking through his notebook full of art.)

HENRY  
Please… Don’t. Kick me a few more times; give a black eye; just don’t touch my art.  
CARRIE  
(Flipping through the book.) You think this is art? These are just childish scribblings. It’s time you know what happens when you dream. (She starts ripping out the pages, one by one.) It’s pointless really; you really think any of these things matter? Will these get me money, or anywhere in life? You’re wasting your time, stop dreaming and get back to reality. You stupid, idiotic, fuckin-  
(Henry quickly reaches in his bag and painfully stands up with the gun pointed at Carrie.)  
CARRIE  
(Drops notebook.) Have you lost your fucking mind? What are you going to do, shoot me? End my life? You think I care, I’ve almost pulled the trigger myself, I have nothing to lose. I feel nothing on the inside, no fear, love, passion, nothing so do your worst.  
JUSTIN  
Don’t listen to him, he’s crazy. Look we’re sorry for all the bullying. I wish I could go back and stop it all from happening. We all have lives to live for and pretty soon, they’ll all be over. So put down the gun and we can talk.  
HENRY  
So, now you want to talk. You want to be friends? It’s funny how human we get when our lives are on the line. For years you’ve been tormenting me and making me feel like shit.  
JOHNNY  
Perfect, now you can put the gun down and talk. See that that wasn’t so hard. (Sees that Henry still has the gun pointed.) What are you doing? Put the gun down. Look you’ve made your point, don’t do anything stupid. Put the fucking gun down, this was not part of the plan. Look the guns loaded, Ok. Why would you’re dad keep an unloaded gun in his safe. People will get hurt, just put it down. You’ve made your point. You’re supposed to be the good guy, the hero who saves the day. Remember any of that?  
HENRY  
I’m glad to hear that you have nothing to live for, Carrie. All you do is make people suffer and I think you enjoy it. I believe you’re broken, because no human can be so cruel and unforgiving. But how do think I feel? Being treated like I have the plague, or a foreign species that everyone avoids. We’ll all human now.  
JUSTIN  
Look, I can see why you hate us, but please, I’ve never truly meant to hurt you. We’re quite similar you and I we-

HENRY  
You fucking assholes are nothing like me. I just wanted to have a nice lunch and draw, but you couldn’t let me be happy for one day. You had to fuck it up. That’s what all you people do, fuck things up.  
CARRIE  
You want to know why I started bullying you. You remind me off a younger foolish me and I hated myself as a child. You have to realize that people don’t care about you, or your dreams. That drawing all these doodles are pointless, because some day you’re going to live a small apartment, with rent due that you can’t afford, all because you had to follow your stupid dreams. It’s going to ruin your life.  
JUSTIN  
Your wrong, life is pointless without dreaming. Carrie, you were dam wrong to torment Henry, and you’re a bitch for ripping up his notebook. Henry, I am truly sorry for being an asshole to you. I wish I could take it all back, but I’m no Dr. Who. If you do decide to shoot me, I wish I knew you better. I think we could have been great friends. I think we have more in common than you think. I’m tired of living this lie. What have we become?  
HENRY  
I didn’t want any of this. But when you take everything from a man, he’s no longer human, he’s a wild animal. We’ve all been hurt by heartless animals, but we can change. (Slowly lowers gun.) We can become human again and we’ll be free. But sometimes it’s too late. I truly have nothing to live for, and that’s not going to change. It’s pointless, really. You guys may be broken, but you can be fixed. I’m passed that point. Why must we be so cool, oh so cool? (Raises gun to head)Oh, we're such damn fools (Pulls trigger, but nothing happens.) Shit (Laughs) out of bullets.(He points and fires the gun at everyone in the room. No bullets go off.) Round 2(He puts the gun to his head again but this time a bullet comes out. Henry and Johnny fall to the floor)  
Fade to Black


End file.
